CVT future for Subaru

It's only a matter of time before the 'Lineartronic' Continuously Variable Transmission is dropped into Subaru's Impreza small car.

Takeshi Tachimori told the Carsales Network as much during the launch of the new Liberty and Outback ranges yesterday. Tachimori is the Chief General Manager of Subaru's Product and Portfolio Planning Division.

The new 'CVT' is making its Australian debut in the mid-sized passenger car and its SUV variant. It represents the way of the future for the manufacturer, since it frees Subaru from the task of developing five, six, seven and even eight-speed epicyclic automatics in coming years.

But there is one problem the company faces with the new type of transmission; it's limited to a torque capacity of about 250Nm. This was revealed by Tachimori as the principal reason behind Subaru leaving a possible diesel/CVT combination on the shelf. 

"It's a matter of engineering resource," he said.

"The maximum torque [rating for the CVT] is 250Nm. We have a future plan to make a CVT that can combine with a turbocharged engine or six-cylinder engine -- so basically the strength of [that] CVT structure is designed up to 350Nm -- but first we make a 250Nm-spec CVT, combined with the 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine."

Both the turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally-aspirated six in the Liberty and Outback make do with a conventional five-speed automatic as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual. Diesels can work well with automatics and the stepless CVT could keep torque near its peak. That would be welcome when tackling steep ascents, offroad.

Subaru models, with their all-wheel drive systems could cope with high-torque engines and not lose traction, but until a heavier-duty CVT is developed, the whole stepless diesel idea is on the back-burner.

Indeed, according to Tachimori, even a new CVT capable of handling the 350Nm of torque from the petrol six may not be up to the job of taking on the company's horizontally-opposed diesel.

"Diesel's torque is up to around 400Nm, I believe," he said, "It's a very torquey engine."

But while consumers aren't clamouring for a diesel and a CVT in an offroad-capable Subaru, the company hasn't ruled out such a combination down the track.

"Our plan is to go step-by-step, from less powerful engines..." said Tachimori.

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